TACOMA, WA – Today, Yancy Wade Ray, 51, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2016 murder of Hyson Sabb, 41. In November, Ray was convicted of second degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Ray received life without parole because he is, by state statute, a persistent offender, which means he already has two prior convictions for violent offenses and this is his third strike.
Witnesses say on September 3, 2016, Ray argued with Mr. Sabb and another person over a woman. Ray left, then returned a short time later and opened fire, killing Mr. Sabb.
Patrol officers arrived at that location and found a 41-year-old male, later identified as Hyson J. Sabb, in the front yard with a single gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel transported Sabb to a nearby hospital where he died a short time later.
In the street in front of the yard where Mr. Sabb was found, officers discovered a white Lexus sedan parked in the middle of the block with the door open and the engine running. That vehicle was registered to Yancy Ray.
For more information, please contact James Lynch at (253) 798-6265, [email protected].